Stirring spoon



H. L. BALL l AL STIRRING SPOON April 3, 1956 Filed Feb. 3, 1953 .il fn 415412511441!!! if!! il Il H a B L .0 f a w H Henry A. Mercer INVENToRs United States Patent() STIRRING SPODN Howard L. Ball and Henry A. Mercer, Wallace, Idaho Application February 3, 1953, Serial No. 334,876 1 Claim. (Cl. 259-128) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in stirring devices and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a stirring spoon involving a sliding finger gn'p which is reciprocated in order to impart rotation to a stem having a bowl fixedly attached to its lower end.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an agitating spoon for stirring drinks and the like including novel and improved means whereby the concealed parts of the spoon may be cleaned and retained in a sanitary condition for continued use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a stirring spoon involving a rotatable stem having a lower offset end portion to which the upper tapered end of a bowl is fixedly attached to locate a large portion of the bowl offset relative to the stem to increase the agitating action on a liquid in which the spoon is inserted as the stem is rotated.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a stirring spoon of the aforementioned character that is extremely simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, neat and attractive in appearance, efficient and durable in operation, inexpensive tomanufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the present invention in use;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the invention, partly in section and partly in elevation and showing the internal parts of the spoon and the means whereby the stem is rotated;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3 3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the lower portion of the spoon shown in Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral represents an agitating spoon including a cylindrical stem 12 having an offset lower portion 14 that is suitably fixed to the upper tapered end 16 of a bowl 18 to offset a relatively large portion of the bowl from the stem 12, as shown best in Figure 4.

The upper end portion of the stem 12 is flattened and twisted to form a spiral or Archimedean screw 20. The upper extremity of screw 20 is flattened to form a circular stop ange and piston 22.

A tubular finger grip 24 is telescoped over the screw 2.0 and its intermediate portion is provided with an internal nut portion comprising a pair of spaced, segmental plates ice 26 which engage the screw 20 under the stop flange and piston 22.

A coil spring 28 is disposed in the upper end of the tube or finger grip 24. The upper end of spring 28 engages the closed upper end 30 of finger grip 24 and the lower end of spring 28 is fixed to the bearing element 32 having a downwardly facing convexed surface that engages the upper faceof flange and piston 22 to urge the latter downwardly against the plates 26. Spring 28 is placed within the finger grip 24 prior to the application of the plates 26.

Circumferentially spaced apertures 34 are provided in finger grip 24 adjacent end 30. These apertures 34 provide means whereby a cleaning liquid may be introduced into the finger grip 24 for cleaning the interior of the finger grip and the screw 20 as the flange and piston 22 is reciprocated in the finger grip 24.

A pair of coaxial agitating` lugs 36 are formed with and project radially outwardly from diametrically opposite sides of the stern 12 above and adjacent offset end portion 14. These lugs will aid in agitating a liquid in which the bowl 18 is inserted as the stem 12 and bowl 18 are rotated by upward and downward sliding movement of the finger grip 24 on the stem.

In practical use of the present invention, the spoon is inserted into a container C filled with liquid and the finger grip 24 is urged downwardly so that the plates 26 will track along screw 20 to impart rotation to the stem 12. Downward pressure on grip 24 is then relieved and spring 28 will urge the grip 24 upwardly so that the plates 26 will again impart rotation to stem 12.

Spring 28 has a relatively loose fit in the finger grip 24 so that the stem 12 and finger grip 24 may move longitudinally relative to each other with very little restriction and the convex surface of the element 32 engaging ange and piston 22 also adds to the ease in which the grip 24 and stem 12 may move relative to one another.

In order to clean the upper end portion of finger grip 24 it is merely necessary to admit a cleaning liquid into the finger grip through apertures 34 while the stern 12 is extended relative to the finger grip 24. Then, the finger grip 24 is reciprocated on the stem to move plunger 22 back and forth in grip 24 to agitate the cleaning liquid against the inner periphery of finger grip 24 and the screw 20.

The stem 12 may be held vertically with the convex surface of the bowl 18 riding against the bottom wall of the container C to permit the bowl 18 and stern 12 to rotate in a convenient manner for effectively agitating the liquid in the container C.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

An agitating spoon of the character described comprising: a vertical stem including an Archimedean screw on its upper end, a bowl on the lower end of said stem, a tube mounted for reciprocation on the screw and the stem, said tube including an open lower end and a closed upper end having apertures therein for the introduction of a cleaning agent, a pair of spaced, segmental plates fixed in the tube at an intermediate point and engaged with the screw on opposite sides thereof for operatively connecting said tube to the screw for oscillating the stem, a plurality of agitating lugs on the stem at an ntermediate point engageable with the tube for positively limiting the downward movement of said tube on said stem, a coil spring in the upper portion of the tube for elevating same, a ange on the upper end of the screw engageable with the plates for limiting the upward movement of said tube under the inuence of the spring, anda plano-convex thrust bearing in the tube interposed be-y tween said spring and said ange.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 157,456 Mackay v. k-.., Dee. 8, 1874 Rider Sept. 29,

Weeksl Nov. 27,

Griswold May 19,

Carlson Dec. 9,

Verbrugge Mar. 19,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 30, 

